S&T Motiv (Daewoo) K3

History

The Daewoo K3 is a SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) and light machine gun currently in service with the Korean Army. The K3 joins an emerging lineage of domestic gun design and production, much of which comes from Daewoo, a company known for its small arms and automaker. The K3's role as a light machine for South Korea (south) is the same as that of the Belgian Fabrique Nationale FN Minimi for other world powers, including the United States, such as the M249 SAW. K3 inherits some of the things that made Minimi a successful lightweight platform and has seen combat action in recent history.

Production started in 1991 and continues to this day.

Light machine guns have played an important role since World War I, providing modern infantry units with the firepower of a machine gun and the portability of an assault rifle. Its primary role is to support group operations by "suppressing" fire on known targets or locations. Suppression fire creates a diversion of the enemy, allowing friendly forces to move freely during the suppression. Light machine guns typically use the same cartridge caliber as group riflemen and are most often equipped with stabilizing accessories such as shoulder straps, shoulder rests, bipods or tripods to ensure accurate fire.

The reliability of its internal components, excellent operator training, and portability of a weapon like the K3 when subjected to the rigors of the battlefield allow field commanders to use the weapon against the enemy when needed. Therefore, in the automatic weapons role of the squad, the light machine gun is an important part of the fire team. Some SAW systemslike the K3are weapons built specifically for specific roles.

Other versions may be derived from existing assault rifle designs with slight modifications to the heavier barrel and fittings for the LMG role.

Daewoo K3, like other Daewoo weapon products, has relatively smooth and clean lines, and looks very similar to FN Minimi. The barrel is fitted with a muzzle brake, which is about half the length of the weapon.

The gas cylinder system is attached to the bottom of the barrel and strapped to the front end. The forearm sits behind the barrel and cylinder and has a horizontal grip line for a firm forward grip.

At the center of the design is a traditional carrying handle, ergonomically designed with an integrated handle and extending from the weapon via a curved rod. The grip can be used to position the gun or stabilize the gun when the heat barrel needs to be replaced. The container is basically board-side and relatively featureless except for the feed and eject ports. The charging handle is located on the right side of the fuselage.

The front and rear of the receiver are respectively equipped with front and rear adjustable rear sights. The sturdy stock allows for stable shoulder shooting. The pistol grip is angled back for a firm grip. The large trigger element is located in a rectangular trigger ring.

A bipod can be mounted on the bottom of the cylinder to stabilize the K3's ignition. In addition, the system can be mounted on a tripod for continuous fire. The weapon has a length of 1,030mm and a barrel length of 533mm.

The ignition of the K3 is driven by a rotating bolt, and the gas drives the piston. The K3 comes in a NATO standard 5.56x45mm cartridge and can accept a 30-round curved magazine from the Daewoo K1 Carbine and K2 Assault Rifle range, or if it's on fire, a more traditional 200-round disintegrated chain-belt firing support role. The rate of fire is said to be around 900 rounds per minute, which requires changing the barrel at regular intervals (although this is common with all light or heavy machine guns in use today).

The effective range is up to 800 meters, and the maximum range is up to 3600 meters.

Daewoo K3 has cooperated extensively with the South Korean military in Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Iraqi Freedom (Iraq). The system has also found some foreign buyers, including Colombia, Indonesia; the Philippines, South Africa and Thailand.

The Philippine government had some trouble choosing the FN Minimi for its army's next automatic weapon, preferring Western designs to Asian ones. The government then obtained thousands of Daewoo K3s and South Korean-made military trucks to cool the fire.

The Philippines remains one of the largest K3 operators outside of South Korea since the purchase.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes